Over Halloween, word leaked out via Wired of the forthcoming publication of Beasts Book Two, a compilation of fantastic and down-to-earth cryptids. Here is some cryptozoologically-oriented tidbits from Scott Thill’s article:

“Indie comics powerhouse Fantagraphics assembled some of the finest, strangest artists on Earth last year to render monsters of various mythologies into a freaky compilation called Beasts. The tradition continues this December, when Beasts Book Two arrives with a host of new artists and a fearsome array of new creatures.”

“Beasts Book Two will feature esoteric and well-known creatures, as well as an introduction to cryptozoology by Loren Coleman, one of the world’s leading experts on the subject and publisher* of Cryptomundo.

“The compilation will also include an interview on the fine profession of monster-hunting with Ken Gerhard, who has tracked Sasquatch, chupacabras, French werewolves and further fiends.

“An interview with Richard Ellis, marine biologist and author of The Search for the Giant Squid, will delve into the whereabouts of the Kraken.”

Wired gives a sampling of art and a hint of what might be in the book, but the total contents, of course, will be a mystery until it is published. You can tell if it is your cup of tea by looking at Book One, now readily available.

“The paperback version of the original, released [last] Wednesday, is a perfect trick-or-treat handout for Halloween.

“The follow-up looks to be equally satisfying. Like its predecessor, Beasts Book Two is edited by Fantagraphics’ art director Jacob Covey. Wired.com will chat with Covey about the new iteration, and score some exclusive eye candy, later this year.”

I’m not clear if the following is going to be in the book or not, but it was one of the pieces of art submitted. Indeed, it appears the “Maryland Goatman” was the favorite creature submitted, across the board, by the greatest number of artists. In the book Weird Virginia, I detail the “Bunnyman” sightings from Prince George’s County, Maryland, which are a variant on the Goatman encounters.

I like the following version, indeed, a great, moody, 1950ish drawing of the Goatman by Sketchybeast (a/k/a Chris Rodenhurst).

+++* Clarification footnote: I am not the publisher of Cryptomundo. I am a blogger at Cryptomundo, but not the founder/owner/publisher of this site, as I have previously mentioned.

About Loren ColemanLoren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.

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3 Responses to “Goatman and Other Beasts”

There were stories of a “Goatman” in a little town called Emhouse, near where I live in Barry, Texas. Apparently, this seven-foot creature with a goat’s head and haunches, complete with hooves, crept around Emhouse for years. One was crossing the highway, and nearly hit by a car, and another (or the same one) was seen eating corn from a makeshift deer feeder by scooping it out with its hands.